This post will continue the discussion started with last Saturday's post on individualized instruction. The focus of this post will be how to tailor instruction for each individual child. However, before I begin that part, I will discuss what I do not mean by tailoring instruction. Two very different camps exist on this subject, and I will explain both camps.
Child-Centered Instruction vs. Individualized Instruction
When many childhood experts talk about individualized instruction, they are referring to child-centered instruction. This type of instruction lets the child choose what and how they will learn. The teacher in this situation takes the cues from the child and caters the instruction to that child's interests. For example, if the child has an interest in insects, the teacher will plan all the lessons to revolve around insects. To teach colors, the teacher will talk about the colors of the insects. The teacher will read books about insects, etc. The big problem with this approach is not everything can be necessarily squeezed into something in which a child has a particular interest. This is especially true when teaching math and phonics concepts. As a former homeschooling mom, I have seen children whose elementary education followed this model. By the third grade these children knew everything there was to know about insects, but could not read well and had very poor math skills. If you do not believe there are foundational subjects in which every person should have a basic working knowledge, then this type of instruction is for you. I have a huge problem with this type of instruction.
Teacher-Directed Instruction
I fall into the other camp. This camp believes that individualized instruction should be mostly teacher-directed instruction that caters to the child's learning styles not necessarily their interests. This type of instruction believes there are common concepts all children should learn and many of these concepts build one upon the other. The teacher in this situation teaches all children the same basic information, but changes the delivery system to accommodate the way that particular child processes information. A good teacher using this type of instruction also exposes the child to other ways of learning with extra support in order to help that child to develop his/her less dominant areas of the brain. It is actually very detrimental to a child to have everything completely catered to him/her. One of the great life lessons all children must learn to be functional adults involves working through adversity. How do children that have every single aspect of their life catered to their every whim learn to deal with a subject that is difficult? They do not. They do not learn about that subject because they do not find that subject interesting. If you cannot see the harm in that, you should not be reading my blog. You are squarely in the other camp, and I will only make you angry.
How Do I Do It?
How do I accomplish this great feat of tailoring instruction for each individual child? As I stated before, I have a basic curriculum that I follow. I developed this curriculum from aspects of established curriculums and from scratch. The established curriculums I use are from Christian textbook publishers. These curriculums have both private school and homeschool teaching manuals. I use the homeschool manuals because they suit my preschool model. However, I do not follow them exactly. I pick out the best pieces from different curriculums plus adding in my own lessons to make up the entire curriculum. I have 13 years of homeschooling experience plus 8 years of preschool experience. If you are just starting out, I would recommend picking an established curriculum that suits your teaching style and then adding in bits and pieces that you pick up from trainings as you gain experience. Also, never be afraid to chunk what does not work. Establishing a curriculum that truly flows takes years of trial and error. Plus, your curriculum will not look like another person's curriculum because we all have unique teaching styles. Never try to be someone else. Always find your own path when it comes to being a successful teacher.
Pace and Procedure
Once the core curriculum has been established, the individualization comes in the pace and the procedure. For example, every child that comes through my door starts at the exact same point. If it is a one year old, I stretch the lessons out over a couple of weeks. If it is a four year old, I might double or triple the lessons until I find the point where the child struggles. At that point I slow down. I never skip lessons just because of a child's age because I have found developmental delays in children through this process. If I have a four year old that struggles with body parts, we have issues. The pace will be the first aspect to be established. Establishing the procedure takes time. As you work with each child every day, you will begin to learn the uniqueness of each child. To do this you must pay attention. Over time you will learn that one child struggles with the names of different things while another child struggles with math concepts. When a child struggles, that is your signal to dig in and work harder on that particular area. Do not skip the other areas, but do spend more time on the areas in which a child struggles.
Zone of Proximal Development
At this point I want to discuss what Vygotsky called the "zone of proximal development." When working with children one-on-one, your main objective is to move children from an exposure to the material to a working knowledge of the material. You will introduce the concept at a point that is just outside the reach of a child's knowledge base. Then you will work with that child until that becomes a part of the child's knowledge base. This process is repeated over and over with every single concept. Many people call this style of teaching "scaffolding." When a child struggles with a concept, you do not move on until that concept becomes a part of that child's knowledge base. This is especially important for children with developmental delays. One of my favorite quotes is "there are a thousand ways to climb the mountain." Your job as a teacher involves finding the way up the mountain for each individual child. Each child you encounter will teach you new ways up the mountain. The more experience you gain as a teacher, the more strategies you will have in your arsenal. Always be open to the slight variations in presenting material that each child will need.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!! Check out Natalie's children's books at: https://www.amazon.com/author/nataliewade7457
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